PSYC 645 Developmental Psychopathology

This course is designed to acquaint the student with the major concepts, theories, methodologies, and empirical findings in the field of developmental psychopathology. The student will learn to critically evaluate and apply current theory and research in order to understand the biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors associated with the development of psychopathology in children and adolescents. Finally, the student will learn to integrate basic and applied psychological theory and practice with a biblical perspective and a Christ-centered approach to assessing, diagnosing, and treating young people who suffer from psychological disorders.

Textbook readings and lecture presentations

No details available.

Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.

Discussions (2)

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the student will create a thread of at least 500 words using course-related knowledge to address the assigned topic, as well as submit replies of at least 250 words to 2 other classmates’ threads. Each thread and reply must contain at least 2 unique scholarly citations and 1 unique biblical citation. Current APA format must be used. (CLO: A, B, C, D, E)

Treatment Evaluation Presentation Assignment

The student will create a 6-8-minute video-narrated PowerPoint or Prezi presentation that summarizes and evaluates at least 3 different types of intervention strategies for 1 of the disorders of childhood or adolescence discussed in the course. Interventions will also be analyzed through a biblical worldview. The student must integrate course content, current research, and Scripture into his/her presentation, utilizing the textbook, at least 1 scriptural citation, and at least 3 additional recently published peer-reviewed, primary, scholarly sources. The presentation will be graded based on its content, narration, aesthetics, and adherence to current APA formatting guidelines. (CLO: A, B, C, D, E)

Case Presentation Assignments (2)

The student will write 2 Case Presentation assignments in current APA format that summarize the relevant clinical information from and provide causal theories and treatment recommendations for real-world cases of children and adolescents diagnosed with psychological disorders. The body of each Case Presentation must be 5-6 pages of content. Each segment of the “Diagnosis” section must contain citations from the current edition of the DSM. Each segment of the “Etiology” and “Treatment Recommendations” sections must contain citations from the case file and at least 1 scholarly source to support the student’s rationale. (CLO: A, B, C, D)

Analysis of the Accuracy of Artificial Intelligence Content Resource Assignment

The student will use AI technology (Chat GTP) to analyze a case study using the same approach from the case presentation assignments. The student will also independently analyze the case study. The student will submit a critique of the AI generated content given his/her own case study analysis. The student will back-up the critique of AI content with at least 3 scholarly citations. (CLO: A, B, C, D)

Analyzing Interventions for the National Emergency on Child and Adolescent Mental Health Assignment

The student will write a research poster analyzing a proposed intervention to support child and adolescent mental health based on the current national emergency declaration. The research poster will include an introduction, analysis of research evidence of the effectiveness of the intervention, an analysis of the barriers to the intervention, and strategies to overcome the barriers. All arguments presented in the poster need to be clearly supported with 5 scholarly sources. A biblical worldview will be incorporated in the poster’s conclusion. (CLO: A, B, C, D, E)

Quizzes (8)

The student will complete 8 open-book/open-note quizzes. Each quiz will contain 25 multiple-choice questions and cover the textbooks’ readings and lecture presentations for the Module: Week in which it is assigned. The student will have 45 minutes to complete each quiz. (CLO: A, B, C, D)